Tysons is far from the cultural wasteland it once was, but there are still challenges ahead as the area develops a creative arts scene.
If Tysons truly hopes to become “America’s Next Great City,” it must become a cultural hub as well as a technological and financial one.
Urban planners across the country use arts districts to bring reinvestment to neighborhoods, and cultural amenities can be a powerful draw to the creative class. However, there are still many obstacles in the way of local artists.
Arts in the area are served by public programs like the $500,000-a-year ARTSFAIRFAX grants, but ARTSFAIRFAX is a county-wide program and its budget is relatively modest for such a large jurisdiction.
High property values can be a major obstacle to those who would rent studio or gallery space. The Katibeh Art Center, which featured works by the Iranian artist Ebrahim Emad, recently closed.
Emad told Tysons Reporter that he’d had to close the gallery in part because of difficulty physically advertising its presence, as he was unable to hang promotional signs — and because his location in a mid-rise office building offered very little pedestrian traffic.
While the Katibeh Art Center has closed, here are some other art galleries open around the area:
- McLean Project for the Arts (1446 Chain Bridge Rd, McLean) — The McLean Project for the Arts hosts exhibitions, classes for all ages, and special events. The upcoming exhibition, Intention/Invention, will run from January 10 until March 2, with an opening reception on January 12 and an artist talk on January 26, featuring abstract works by two contemporary artists. The Project’s classes cover a wide range of media, and include many classes meant for adults with some artistic background as well as both classes and summer camps for children.
- MK Gallery (1952 Gallows Rd, Tysons) — This gallery, a Tysons establishment for over 15 years, primarily features artists of Korean nationality or heritage. The current exhibition, on show until January 11, is a double, featuring two exciting artists. The first, B. G. Muhn, a professor of art at Georgetown, organized the first-ever exhibition of North Korean art in the United States. The other, Suh Yongsun, is based in Seoul and uses strong color to depict themes of modern social and political life.
- Dara Global Arts (7501 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church) — Dara is a small pop-up gallery focused on painters from Syria and other Levantine countries. Featuring “a highly curated collection of original art that reflects the empowerment of artists and their freedom of expression,” it particularly features the work of women.
- LIK Fine Art (Tysons Galleria, 2001 International Drive) — Peter Lik’s latest of seventeen luxury galleries offers large-format landscape photography.
- Wentworth Gallery (Tysons Galleria, 1807 International Drive) — This gallery brings the work of internationally-recognized artists to Tysons. A wide variety of painters are represented, from neo-impressionists to pop artists. Wentworth rotates their gallery frequently, bringing a new artist every month for a show and a reception so that patrons have a chance to meet the artist. Every month brings something “new and different.”
- The Hermitage Gallery (6831 Tennyson Drive, McLean) — Offering both fine art framing and an exhibition gallery, the Hermitage represents a variety of local and international artists.
- YMM Art Space (8216 Old Courthouse Rd C, Vienna) — YMM is not a gallery, but rather a space of creation and education “dedicated to stimulating the imagination and enhancing the creativity of each and every student.” They “offer classes like fashion design, comics design and origami to students as young as 8, so kids have the opportunity to develop their interests in pretty specific areas,” and there are also classes for younger children and for adults.
- Tysons Art and Learning (8343 Greensboro Dr, Tysons) — This space offers a wide range of art courses for a variety of ages. Their courses extend to digital arts and to writing, and registration and schedules are flexible.
D. Taylor Reich is a freelance journalist who writes about urbanism and development. They are a Fulbright scholar, a 2017 graduate of Brown University and a proud alum of Arlington Public Schools.
Update 4:25 p.m. — Lynne Coan, communications and marketing manager for the Town of Vienna, said the Vienna Town Council removed pedestrian bridges and digital information board from the strategic plan and changed “get rid of planters” to “enhance streetscapes to encourage walkability.”
As the Vienna Town Council begins to craft a new strategic plan, one of the largest sections of the document focuses on how to revitalize the town’s economy.
A full draft of the plan can be found in the agenda for the Jan. 15 Town Council work session. The strategic plan’s stated aim is for Vienna to serve as a “location of choice for unique, independent businesses that add to the town’s charm, attract visitors as well as residents and collectively serve to establish the town as a destination.”
So far, that’s been a challenge for Vienna. While there are new businesses, many of the largest additions are retail chains, and the western end of Maple Avenue suffers from rampant vacancies and “blight” like the burned husk of Marco Polo.
The strategic plan points to plans to update the town’s zoning code as one of the largest projects in the next year related to new economic development. The strategic plan says the aim is to start work on addressing the zoning code in spring 2019. The process is anticipated to take 18 months.
Part of the plan to make Vienna a destination also involves making it more walkable. The plan includes a series of recommendations on how to make Vienna more pedestrian friendly:
- Make wider sidewalks a part of new Maple Avenue Commercial developments
- Get rid of planters to allow more walking area
- Enhance traffic-light timing to improve crossing Maple Avenue
- Add more pedestrian-controlled signals on Maple Avenue
- Start a local bus shuttle service to walkable destinations in Vienna
To help diversify the economy and bring in non-chain businesses, the plan recommends hiring an economic development consultant or deputy town manager to focus specifically on economic development. One of the recommendations would also loosen some of the sign ordinance restrictions, allowing businesses to get waivers allowing signs and balloons for events on Church Street, as well as additional way-finding signage.
In an effort to reduce the rampant vacancies, the plan recommends providing a link on the website to current vacant properties and opening up those spaces for pop-up arts or other short-term uses.
The plan also says that the current Town Green could be utilized more effectively as a social hub for Vienna, with recommendations for the square including bringing events with food trucks into the area.
Additional proposals in the strategic plan include:
- Implement campaigns such as restaurant week
- Celebrate small business week for a whole week, starting on the date of the Church Street Stroll; ask businesses to come up with deals to offer that whole week
- Create a mobile app with an interactive business map
- Create an app and printout for a Vienna walking tour focusing on local history and points of interest
- Publicize where to park off-hours
- Host more events that draw people to the commercial area
- Create a Vienna dining and restaurant directory
- Create a Chocolate Escape event; ask all businesses to feature a low-cost chocolate items as part of event
- Host a Casino Night; have live music frequently
- Encourage more dining options
- Encourage local groups to adopt a spot and keep it clean
- Create training centers
- Feature a business of the week
- Additional free events: dances, dance lessons, senior events.
Lynne Coan, communications and marketing manager for the Town of Vienna, said the strategic plan is still a work in progress with the Town Council scheduled to consider a draft of the plan in the spring.
A drunk man allegedly touched a 15-year-old girl inappropriately and then “became belligerent” with police at the Westwood Country Club in Vienna.
The incident happened around 10:20 p.m. on Saturday, January 5.
“A citizen reported that his 15-year-old daughter was attending a party when she was touched inappropriately by a man,” Vienna police said in a crime report. “Officers located that man, and upon their interaction with him detected signs of impairment. The man would not follow the officers’ directions and became belligerent with them when he was placed under arrest.”
The man, a 21-year-old Stafford resident, was jailed and charged with Simple Assault and Drunk in Public.
Map via Google Maps
Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in McLean. Reach the office at 703-790-9090.
Happy Snow Day!
You know what stir-crazy parents and kids need on a day where we got almost a foot of snow? To get out! If you’re lucky enough to live on a sloped lot or on a street with a good angle, happy sledding.
For those of you looking to find a good place to go sledding, here’s my list of the best places to go sledding in Vienna and McLean:
Vienna
- There’s a small hill at Meadow Lane Park on the baseball field. It’s small enough for little kids who might be scared, but enough to give them some speed.
- Westbriar Elementary School (behind the school).
- Cunningham Park Elementary — has a big hill that’s great for picking up speed.
- Wolftrap (the theatre) — there’s 2 places at Wolfrap, the “Bowl” and the “Big Hill.”
- Marshall Road Elementary — in the back there’s a small hill.
McLean
- Westgate Park — there’s a hill behind the 2nd baseball field.
- Lemon Road Elementary — has a large hill.
- Franklin Sherman Elementary School
McLean can be hilly in areas, so some of the best sledding is likely right in your neighborhood. Don’t forget to watch out for cars if you’re on a road. Stay safe!
If you’re looking for some other ideas on playing in the snow, one mom hack that I found is to mix cold water with food coloring and put it in a squeeze bottle. I call it “snow paint.” My kids love it!
Happy Sledding!
For Vienna residents impacted by the government shutdown, not only is free pet food available at a nearby pet store, but the town government is offering water bill payment extensions and limited part-time employment opportunities.
Payment deadlines for Town of Vienna water bills due at the end of the month will be extended for furloughed federal employees until after the federal government reopens. According to the press release:
“Any late fees will be waived. To apply for payment extension, furloughed Town of Vienna water customers must show proof of federal employment (via a badge or pay stub) at the finance counter at Town Hall from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.”
For those seeking part-time employment during the shutdown, in addition to Fairfax County Public Schools offering short-term substitute teacher positions, the town will be offering work in the parks and public works departments over the next four weeks.
According to the press release:
“Using funds available due to job attrition, the Town is offering part-time employment in areas where the Town currently has gaps. Tasks include assisting at the community center front desk, parks maintenance work, and filing and scanning. Furloughed employees living in the Town of Vienna will receive hiring preference. Federal employees interested in these part-time opportunities may apply online at viennava.gov/employment or in person at Town Hall or call Human Resources at 703-255- 6362.”
File photo
If you’re a government employee with a pet at home, you don’t need to worry about affording food for your animal.
Kriser’s Natural Pet, a pet store chain featuring natural food, treats and supplies, is offering free food to furloughed government employees.
“As part of this community, we just couldn’t sit idly by and watch our friends suffer and stretch to make ends meet,” the store said in a press release. “If you have a pet and have been affected by the shutdown, come in. Show us your government employee ID and we’ll give you a comparable bag of food that your pet is eating for free.”
The store has a location in Vienna at 144 Maple Ave W. and in Tysons at 7505 Leesburg Pike inside the Whole Foods shopping center. There are also two locations in Arlington, one at the Lee-Harrison Shopping Center (2501 N. Harrison Street) and another in the Courthouse-Clarendon area (2509 N. Franklin Road).
Kriser’s has a variety of food types available for cats and dogs. While you’re there, if you’re looking for something to keep the pet busy over a snowed-in weekend, the stores also have a variety of toys and treats for cats and dogs.
Image via Kriser’s Natural Pet
One pint of donated blood can save up to three lives.
Even if you’re squeamish about needles, next Friday (Jan. 18) is a chance to overcome that fear and donate to the Inova Blood Drive.
From 10 a.m.-2 p.m., the Inova Blood Drive will be held at the Vienna Community Center at 120 Cherry Street SE.
For those who can’t make it out to the blood drive on Friday, the closest spot to donate is the Woodburn Donor Center at 3289 Woodburn Road.
Appointments can be made online or by calling 866-BLOODSAVES and using the sponsor code 1058.
Donors will receive a pair of “lifesaver” socks. This year’s sock is blue with white snowflakes that include various blood types.
Be sure to check the chart below to ensure that you’re eligible to donate:
Photo via Facebook
Vienna may have its share of controversies, but overall, local residents are apparently pretty big fans of the town.
Last October, the town participated in the National Citizen Survey, a survey aimed at helping local governments understand their citizens’ perspective on their community.
The town received a relatively high amount of feedback, with 695 residents or 45 percent of those surveyed answering.
“Responding residents rated Vienna as excellent or good as a place to raise children (98%), as a place to live (96%), and for quality of life (94%),” according to a Town of Vienna press release. “Nine in 10 Vienna residents would recommend living in the community to someone who asked.”
The survey is conducted by the National Research Center (NRC). In 65 of the 126 categories, local residents rated Vienna higher than residents in comparable communities rated theirs. The highest rated category was for safety-related services.
The four areas Vienna ranked lower than comparable communities were for traffic flow, ease of travel by car, affordable housing, and the number of residents who work in Vienna.
There’s a handful of design options for the new Vienna police station, but all of the plans being considered by town leaders will double the size of the existing building.
The Vienna Town Council plans to review three proposals for the project from Dewberry Architects Inc. at a meeting on Monday (Jan. 14).
The current station is 11,800 square-feet, while all of the new designs are over 28,400 square feet.
All of the designs extend the station southwest along Locust Street away from Center Street. In addition to new rooms for roll call, interviews,and other daily police-work uses, the new station designs feature a large “community room” and public lobby.
Two of the designs are very similar, both featuring the same distinctive curved meeting room at the Center Street end of the building, but with different parking layouts at the far side of the station.
Price estimates for the project range from $13 million to $15 million, with an estimated construction start date in fall 2020.
The project’s approval was not without some controversy, however. At a Town Council meeting earlier this week, Councilmember Pasha Majdi opposed awarding a contract for project management, saying there were better projects that could be funded instead.
The following article excerpt is from our content sharing partner, FairfaxNews.com.
Vienna Theatre Company’s production of J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan debuts at 8 p.m. Friday, January 18. Weekend performances will be staged through February 2. General admission tickets are $14 and available via viennava.gov/webtrac.
The production flips the script on several traditional facets of the original play, including the character of Peter, who is cast and portrayed as a woman; the inclusion of written stage directions as narration; and use of a digitally projected set.
Read more at FairfaxNews.com
Image of the Vienna Community Center, where Vienna Theatre Company productions are staged, via RRMM Architects
